Taziki's Mediterranean Café - The Oaks

A great alternative to you classic American style fare in the area, Tazikis is a fresh Mediterranean fast casual restaurant that is worth a visit. The main entrees are fresh, worth the price. The wait was slightly long due to the busy nature of the restaurant and the pita bread and chips were underwhelming for our appetizer. No major complaints and would easily go back.

Personally, when I think Mediterranean, I think fresh food, and they delivered! I ordered the Mediterranean Salad with chicken, and the oldest child ordered a Ceasar Salad - both were absolutely fantastic. The chicken in mine was juicy and tasty. I also ordered tomato-cucumber salad on the side because it's one of my favorites, but please note that the side portions are relatively small. However, they are just that side portions.

The youngest child ordered the Sneaky Taziki and loved it! She has days where she's hard to please, and luckily, this dish passed the test. She also loved the fruit bowl, which I'm guessing is seasonal. In October, at the time of writing this, it was a mix of cantaloupe, honeydew melon, watermelon, and pineapple.

My husband got the Build Your Own and ordered the Chicken Kebobs. He said the flavor was definitely on point, but for the price, it didn't seem like there was enough protein. He said $13 for six pieces of nugget sized chicken. He also said the spicy hummus was a little misleading because while it was delicious and he'll be getting it again, it was in no way spicy.

The actual restaurant is so bright and clean. It's decorated very minimalistcally, yet keeps the Mediterranean lifestyle in mind. There are tips about the way the Mediterranean people eat also. I really loved the table number signs they give out for people like me who really need to know how things work. It takes the actual guess things out of things.

Lastly. Location, location, location. It's in the BEST location! It's at the Avenue entrance (I guess depending on where you're entering at), but you're right there at a light.

I will say that we were all let down that there isn't tabouli. Ironically, I didn't try the taziki sauce this go around, but will update when we go back.

So delicious, I’ve never had a lamb burger before but it’s now my new favorite. Spicy hummus was just perfect.

Ordered: Mediterranean Lamb burger with red potatoes and chips $12.49, Spicy Harissa Hummus with pita $6.49

Socials: The Hungry Wonderland

Pros
Easy and convenient to find despite Google not knowing right from left at the destination. It's fairly fast, clean, neat, crawling with polite staff and the food (first try so maybe better luck with a different menu item). It's just one man's opinion.

Adequate parking, prices not too bad, and the service seems good (all they do is bring your meal after a cafeteria style food line and clear up after) with stainless tableware.

Other
No ceiling (open structure above), table ware pre wrapped at the table and, just a fluke, one had a bit of soil on the napkin it was wrapped in. The tableware itself looked clean. It is cafeteria style so after ordering you get a laminated number for the table you find open, and since it's flat, you need to use the top of the stand to hold it so the delivery person can find you.

You can find something of a menu on line but inside you will need to study a sandwich board/sign-stand version. It is certainly functional but I prefer some nice colour photos that might hint at what I could expect. I don't recall seeing any napkin holders on the table (may have overlooked that, maybe not) but you can work-around one of two ways: 1 think ahead and ask the delivery person for more napkins, 2 unwrap extra tableware at the table or 3 get up and wave down someone.

Cons
They were pretty full so that's something to consider but the unoccupied table I sat at wasn't wiped down and it seems clean up after people finished wasn't super speedy.

The gyro plate - taken in total was a little skimpy on sides portions. There was about a cup of plain rippled potato chips that were a little "bottom of the bag" sized and what was served as basmati rice, well I don't want to be mean, it helps nobody, either them or me; but, if they didn't tell me it was basmati - I would not have ever guessed.

It was an estimated 1/2 C of what I would call a lower starch medium to maybe longer grain rice that had more oil than a 502 Chevy engine. Sometimes on a more commercial rice with higher starch, oil can reduce clumping. If it was a good healthy oil like olive, it couldn't detect any EVO by flavour or scent. It wasn't mushy nor dry - they nailed that, but there was a citrus (not olive) taste to it and none of the nutty flavour and pleasing aromatic smell I expect when I hear "Basmati". I'm no foodie, I'm not difficult to please, but I was underwhelmed to be completely honest.

The Tzatziki itself was better than some and a little underwhelming simultaneously. What I liked about the Taziki was it had ample cucumber in it and consistency was fine, unfortunately that's the dominant flavour and I couldn't taste any of the expected acidity from a quality Greek yogurt nor EVO.

But the largest letdown was that they don't have Tabbouleh.

In total, it's pretty good. I'll make it back again and select something different (like "build your own") that doesn't involve that rice or tabbouleh.